International Network
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Description
UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - was founded on 16 November 1945. Education, Culture, Communication, as well as Social and Natural Sciences are the means to an ambitious goal: building peace in the minds of men. UNESCO is currently acting as a laboratory for ideas and a standard-setter intending to create universal consensus on emerging ethical issues. It also serves as a clearinghouse - for the spreading and sharing of information and knowledge - while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields.
UNESCO has been keen on facilitating genuine dialogue based on the respect for shared values and the recognition of the dignity of each civilization and culture. It is also aiming at shaping a global vision of sustainable development that would rely on the observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty.
UNESCO has been keen on facilitating genuine dialogue based on the respect for shared values and the recognition of the dignity of each civilization and culture. It is also aiming at shaping a global vision of sustainable development that would rely on the observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty.
UNESCO's strategies and activities are intended to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, especially those focusing on:
• halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty in developing countries,
• achieving universal primary education in all countries,
• eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education,
• helping countries implement a national strategy for sustainable development to reverse current trends in the loss of environmental resources.
Governing bodies
1- General Conference
The General Conference is composed of the representatives of UNESCO Member States. It meets every two years, and is attended by Member States and Associate Members, together with observers from non-Member-States, intergovernmental organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Each country has one vote, irrespective of its size or the extent of its contribution to the budget. The General Conference defines the policies and work outline of the Organization. It is assigned to set the program and the budget of UNESCO, elect the Members of the Executive Board and appoint the Director-General every four years.
2 - The Executive Board
The Executive Board is in charge of UNESCO overall management and meets twice a year. It prepares the work of the General Conference and sees that its decisions are carried out properly. The functions and responsibilities of the Executive Board are basically defined in the Constitution and in other rules or directives set by the General Conference. Every two years the General Conference assigns specific tasks to the Board. Its other functions stem from agreements concluded between UNESCO and the United Nations, the specialized agencies and other intergovernmental organisations. The Board's 58 members are elected by the General Conference with much attention paid to their geographical origins in order to respect the diversity of cultures.
The Program sectors of UNESCO
The issues tackled by UNESCO have been divided into two groups: the major programmes and the special themes.
The major programmes are composed of the five programme sectors of UNESCO: Education - Natural Sciences - Social and Human Sciences - Culture - Communication and Information. Bice is currently trying to strengthen its collaboration with the "Education" and "Social and Human Sciences" sectors specifically, for its "Human Rights" programme.
1 - The UNESCO Education Sector
The overarching objective of this sector is to attain a quality education for all and lifelong learning.
UNESCO's mission is to promote education as a fundamental human right, to improve the quality of education and to facilitate policy dialogue, knowledge sharing and capacity building. UNESCO coordinates the global drive towards Education for All. UNESCO facilitate the development of partnerships and monitors progress, in particular by publishing an annual Global Monitoring Report that tracks the achievements of countries and the international community towards the six "Education for All goals".
The framework and the priorities of UNESCO's Education Sector are determined by goals adopted by the UN and UNESCO and include:
- The six Education for All goals adopted in the Dakar Framework for Action 2000-2015
- The UN Millennium Development Goals, especially Goal 2 and Goal 3
- The UN Literacy Decade 2003-2012
- The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014
- The EDUCAIDS Global Initiative on Education and HIV/AIDS
2 - The UNESCO Social and Human Sciences sector and the program of human rights
In the field of human rights, UNESCO works to:
- Encourage and disseminate human rights research;
- Promote education in human rights;
- Lead action in the fight against all forms of discrimination at national, regional and international level;
- Encourage cooperation among all actors and networks;
- Promote democracy and to further reflection on new forms of violence.
- Encourage and disseminate human rights research;
- Promote education in human rights;
- Lead action in the fight against all forms of discrimination at national, regional and international level;
- Encourage cooperation among all actors and networks;
- Promote democracy and to further reflection on new forms of violence.
Its work has three major aims:
• strengthen awareness;
• act as a catalyst for regional, national and international action in human rights;
• foster cooperation with all actors and networks.
With regard to the advancement of human rights, action is concentrated in areas where UNESCO has a special mandate: generating and sharing knowledge, protecting human rights, renewing and reinforcing commitment to human rights education and providing advisory services and technical assistance to Member States.
UNESCO regularly releases reports on diverse issues related to its mandate. Those dealing with or referring to children's rights are available on our website.
